Congrats on the elk! Great story. And yes, a boned out elk is a lot of weight. The mere mortal has at least three trips to make: two with elk meat and one with camp and gear. It's a ball buster, but its pretty satisfying knowing that you just did it.
Way to get it done and good luck with your other tag. I love being I elk all day. Can't wait for the 21 I will hopefully be able to get mine with my smoke pole.
Nice post. I'm glad the new pack worked out well. I'm still waiting to put a real load on mine in a couple of weeks when I leave for Alaska. Good luck on the second tag I'm sure the hunting will get better as time goes by and the rut kicks in. Bob.